Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith, left, with Steve Ballmer AP According to a post from Microsoft's General Counsel Brad Smith, Microsoft just reached a deal with Samsung to receive royalties on each Android smartphone and tablet Samsung sells.

The cross-licensing agreement will give each company greater patent coverage with each other's technology, and will also effect Samsung's development of Windows Phone devices, Smith says.

Samsung is the second top-tier Android manufacturer to license Microsoft's patent portfolio.

The first was HTC, who reportedly pays Microsoft $5.00 for every Android phone it sells.

This means the only big name left without Microsoft patent licenses for smartphones and tablets is Motorola.

Smith tweeted that the deal is its most important Android patent license to date.